Research Sense for Korean American Therapy – Details, episodes & analysis

In this special podcast episode, we had the amazing opportunity to chat with Dr. Keiko McCullough, an assistant professor in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Denver. We previously discussed two of their research papers in Season 1 Episode 4 and Season 2 Episode 5, but this time, we talked to the researcher directly about their background and journey into academia. In today’s episode, Dr. McCullough talks about growing up in the Midwest with a mixed-race family and the importance of representation in media. We also get some insider tips on how they draw inspiration from everyday observations, art, and entertainment. And if you’re a graduate student, you don’t want to miss out on the valuable advice Dr. McCullough gives as a professor. 

This episode was recorded in 2023.

In today's episode, we delve into an insightful paper titled "Examination of Korean Immigrant Mothers’ Parenting Practices: By Using the Framework of Bilinear Acculturation," authored by Eunju Yoon, Yoonsun Choi, Jeong-Eun Suh, and Sarah Galvin in 2021. 

The discussion revolves around acculturation and enculturation, specifically focusing on Korean immigrant mothers' parenting practices in the U.S. We break down the concepts of acculturation and enculturation, emphasizing how these factors shape parenting styles. We explore how Korean immigrant parents blend their traditional values, such as family harmony and interdependence, with the more egalitarian and open communication practices prevalent in American culture. We also touch upon the study's findings, highlighting the importance of autonomy and independence in influencing positive outcomes for the children, including lower depression levels and improved academic performance.

You can find the abstract here: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-10956-001

We discuss a study entitled: The mediating role of Korean immigrant mothers' psychological well-being in the associations between social support and authoritarian parenting style by Seo, Cheah, Özdemir, Hart, Leung, & Sun published in 2018.

Many of us are familiar with strict parenting and may know of others who had a "tiger" mom growing up. What if the mother's "tiger mom-ness" was partially due to the mother's psychological well-being? Moreover, what if her psychological well-being was because of the loss of social supports after immigrating to the US? This study looks that the relationship among the mother's social supports, well-being, and authoritarian parenting style.

You can find the abstract here: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-51188-001

We discuss a study entitled: Racial Discrimination, Distress, Coping Motives, and Alcohol-Related Problems Among U.S. - Born Asian American Young Adults by Iwamoto, Kane, Negi, Collado, Tofighi published in 2022.

It's not secret that there are a lot of Asian American college students who drink alcohol during their university days. But, does it mean that if a student drinks a beer, that it's a problem? Not exactly. This jumps into the nuance of not so much the problem of drinking, but the why these students drink as being the source of drinking problems.

You can find the abstract here: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-18589-001

We discuss a study entitled: Willingness to use mental health counseling and antidepressants in older Korean Americans: the role of beliefs and stigma about depression by Park, Jang, and Chiriboga published in 2018.

There is considerable stigma against mental health within the Korean American community, but how does that stigma affect a vulnerable group such as older Korean Americans? This episode dives into a study looking at older Korean Americans and what contributes to their willingness to take medications and seek out professional help for mental health issues.

You can find the abstract here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27764962/

We discuss a study entitled: Predicting Psychological Distress Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic by Machine Learning: Discrimination and Coping Mechanisms of Korean Immigrants in the U.S. by Choi, Hong, Kim, & Park published in 2020.

The pandemic and acts of hate and racial discrimination all took a toll on the Korean and Asian American communities. Though there were many atrocities and so many people feeling burnt out, there were many who were able to carry on in some way. What was so special about those who were able to carry on and what does resilience really mean?

You can find the abstract here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32825349/

We discuss a study entitled: Culturally Specific Parent Mental Distress, Parent-Child Relations and Youth Depression Among Korean American Families by Yasui, Kim, and Choi published in 2018.

Families are a major part of a Korean American's mental health, whether it's the presence or absence of them, whether they provide resilience or bring about frustration. How do Korean American families talk about mental health? Why do immigrant parents so often talk about their digestion when there is something going on? And how does the family system contribute to the mental health of both the parents and the children?

You can find the abstract here: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-29409-001

We discuss a study entitled: The Intersectional Prototypicality Model: Understanding the Discriminatory Experiences of Asian American Women and Men by Wong and McCullough published in 2021.

Why aren't you ___ enough? Whether that is being Asian, American, masculine, feminine, strong, and caring, Asian Americans experience a lot of discrimination. We go over a paper that discusses the Intersectional Prototypicality Model to help understand these discriminatory experiences such as Asian American women not being seen as leaders or Asian American men being viewed as unattractive in dating apps.

You can find the abstract here: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-28159-001

We discuss a study entitled: Acculturative Strategies and Mental Distress Among Asian American College Students: The Role of Asian Values Across Acculturative Strategies by Suh, Goergen, Nelson, & Flores published in 2020.

It's not unusual to get asked or even being criticized for how Asian or American you're acting, especially as an Asian American. This article explores the nuances of that question and how it relates to the mental health of Asian Americans.

You can find the abstract here: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-59608-001

We discuss a study entitled: Discrimination and Ethnic-Racial Socialization Among Youth Adopted from South Korea into White American Families by Schires, Buchanan, Lee, McGue, Iacono, and Burt published in 2018.

Thus far, the studies we have covered were largely about Asian or Korean Americans living with their Asian and Korean American families. This episode, we take a look at the experiences of Korean Americans who have been adopted into White American families and discuss what protects them from later mental health issues.

You can find the abstract here: https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cdev.13167